12 posts and columns on Sarah McBride

Studios Make Bigger Push for Digital Sales

in News on December 28, 2009 at 8:45 am PT

The Showtime cable-television network has begun selling episodes of its hit series “Weeds” online, weeks ahead of the DVD release. The tactic, by “Weeds” producer Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., is the part of a more aggressive effort Hollywood is taking to boost online sales of digital movies.

Milestone at Pandora Web Radio

in News on December 17, 2009 at 9:37 am PT

Pandora Media Inc. said its personalized online radio service doubled in size this year, topping 40 million registered users. Of those, some 15 million people visited the Web site each month, said Tim Westergren, Pandora’s chief executive. Almost all stream the radio content.

Hollywood Studios Push Blu-ray Sales for Holidays

in News on December 14, 2009 at 10:37 am PT

Hollywood movie studios are trying to ensure that this holiday season they will finally start to see significant revenue from sales of Blu-ray discs–potentially a critical bulwark against the plunging DVD market, now in its third year of decline. The studios resolved their next-generation DVD format war almost two years ago. So far, though, the take from Blu-ray has been underwhelming.

Howard Stern Rethinks Radio Gig

in News on December 9, 2009 at 11:03 am PT

Sirius XM Radio Inc. recently succeeded in reversing a troublesome decline in its subscribers. Now it is facing a possible decline in its star wattage. “I don’t think I’m going to be re-signing,” said morning-show host Howard Stern on the air last month. “I know exactly what I want to do here,” he said, in terms of a less time-consuming schedule, “and I don’t know if it would interest them,” meaning his bosses.

Mixed Signals in Web Radio

in News on December 1, 2009 at 5:00 am PT

Radio’s online audience is growing at an impressive pace at a time when the beleaguered radio industry needs all the ears it can get. But radio companies, suffering their third straight year of revenue declines, are having trouble turning that audience into the cash they crave.

Cult Musician Mojo Nixon Storms the Web

in News on October 22, 2009 at 12:33 pm PT

Cult musician Mojo Nixon hasn’t had a hit in years, but he’s moved over a million songs at Amazon.com so far this month. The artist, who calls his revved-up rockabilly sound “psychobilly,” earlier this year cooked up a scheme to put almost his entire catalog up on Amazon.com, for free.

Radio Shows Tune In to Listener Habits

in News on September 17, 2009 at 1:00 am PT

Radio programmers are now able to collect so much data about listener habits that some have begun fine-tuning their shows down to the second–to the dismay of on-air personalities like Ryan Seacrest.

New Set-Top Box Promises to Bring 3D to Television

in News on September 16, 2009 at 1:00 am PT

3D technology is coming one step closer to home with the development of a new set-top box system that will allow consumers to browse through and access 3D offerings from their cable or satellite TV company.

YouTube in Talks to Stream Rental Movies

in News on September 2, 2009 at 2:01 pm PT

Google Inc.’s YouTube is in discussions with major movie studios about allowing users to stream movies on a rental basis, according to people familiar with the company’s plans, marking one of the video giant’s first moves towards charging for content instead of making it available for free with advertising.

RealNetworks and Hollywood Spar Over DVD Ripping

in News on April 24, 2009 at 4:02 pm PT

Starting late last year, movie studios began peddling premium-priced DVDs that come with the right to download a digital copy of the movie onto a computer. Now a federal judge will weigh in on whether the studios are the only ones who can legally make those copies, or if other companies can jump on the bandwagon.

Relationship Status of RIAA and ISPs: It’s Complicated

in News, March 26, 2009 at 1:11 pm PT